Wherever You Are
by ReadtheLyric09
Summary: Nearly 6,000 teenagers die every year in auto accidents, but that number doesn't count the lives affected by those deaths. The minutes spent praying for one more day, the years spent mourning deaths, the days spent counting until they return. B/L Oneshot


**Title: **Wherever You Are

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters or the song.

**Rating:** K+. Mainly for slight graphic images. When I say slight, I mean slight. And, just an overall somber feel to the story. (Death implied)

**Summary:** Nearly 6,000 teenagers die every year in auto accidents, but that number doesn't count the lives affected by those deaths. The minutes spent praying for one more day, the years spent mourning the deaths, the days spent counting until they return. Oneshot

**Dedication: **To all those who have lost a loved on in an auto accident, regardless of the age. To have a loved one die so unexpectedly is a tragedy no one should ever have to deal with.

**Author: **ReadtheLyric09

**Author Notes: **I wrote this after seeing the All State commercial. The song is _From Where You Are _by Lifehouse. The song really got to me, to the point where I had to write to get it all out. I highly recommend it to everyone. This is a oneshot and it is not very long. It is bittersweet, and a tad sad. Which is definitely not my usual style. I just figured I'd put this up here for others. Leave your comments if you wish. And, stay safe on the roads. If not for your sake, then for the other drivers. Because, while they might not matter to you, they matter to someone else. They are someone's sibling, parent, child, friend, or lover. Watch out and be careful while driving! Enjoy and **REVIEW!**

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Every year nearly six thousands teenagers alone are killed in auto accidents. That's six thousand brothers, sisters, cousins, best friends, lovers, and children that go out for a drive and never return. People comment on how it is such a tragedy for a young life to be lost. And, it is. But, while those lives are over and done, everyone else still lives on. Eventually, to the rest of the world, the kids killed are erased from memory. At least, to everyone who didn't have an encounter with one of the unlucky kids. Teenagers only make up one tenth of the population, but in reality, their lives aren't statics and numbers, they are so much more than that.

_So far away from where you are_

_These miles have torn us worlds apart_

_And I miss you, yeah I miss you_

The good memories don't ever wash out the bad ones. The vision of yelling at a sister before she takes off in her car, never again able to mutter a "sorry" or an "I love you" to her. No, never again will that happen. The vision of never telling a best friend how much you need her and how she makes you a better person. The vision of watching a lover bleed out on the cold pavement right before your eyes. Feeling so helpless, almost as though you are dying at the exact same moment that she takes her last breath, just minutes before the ambulance arrives.

_So far away from where you are_

_I'm standing underneath the stars_

_And I wish you were here_

Every young life lost affects over 20 people alone, if not more. People lose a best friend, a teammate, a lover, a sibling, a child; someone who could have changed the world. They lose years of bliss and moments of glee. They lose the ability to be happy. Constantly reminded by everyday sounds and events that _she_ isn't here. _She _is gone, has been since that day years before. She'll never be able to celebrate in your success, your triumphs. At least, not in your arms.

_I miss the years that were erased_

_I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face_

_I miss all the little things_

_I never thought that they'd mean everything to me_

_Yeah I miss you_

_And I wish you were here_

Missing and hoping that for just one more day you can catch a glimpse of her. Be able to sniff her hair and smell that wonderful strawberry shampoo she uses. Or feel her heart beat rhythmically with yours. Begging the "higher power" to just allow you one chance to say goodbye, to utter all the words you never got to say to her face. Never able to see her reaction to those words you've thought for years, but never got to say. You were just one day late saying them. Just one day.

_I feel the beating of your heart_

_I see the shadows of your face_

_Just know that wherever you are_

_Yeah, I miss you_

_And I wish you were here_

Torn from you heart are all the wonderful times. Smiling feels like betrayal. How can you be happy when _she_ is dead? How is it possible to be joyful when everything reminds you of _her_? The way cars whizzing by remind you of her last moments. The way the red roses slowly sway in the breeze, just like her hips when she listened to music. The way the sun lights up your room in the morning, just like her smile used to. The way strawberries and the beach smell, almost as if trying to recreate her smell. The way a couple cuddling in the sand brings back memories of you and her, together. It's just too much. It hurts too much to ever think of her, because smiling, laughing, being happy without her confirms that she's really gone. And, she can't be right? Because, no one can survive without her.

_I miss the years that were erased_

_I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face_

_I miss all the little things_

_I never thought that they'd mean everything to me_

_Yeah I miss you_

_And I wish you were here_

Standing at her headstone, three years later, it doesn't seem like much has changed. Your hair is still the same faint blonde it always was. You still look and dress the same. But, everything isn't the same; she isn't here. Life has continued on without her. And, it seems almost cruel. She was taken too soon, before she could make a difference in the world. At least, that is what others muttered at her funeral. However, she did change the world, your world. From her bubbly personality to her huge heart, she changed you for the better. What would she say if she saw you miserable and aching? She would scold you, no doubt. In her raspy voice, she would chew you out for letting her die in vain. You were supposed to show the world how she changed you. You were supposed to help everyone heal by reminding them of how she lived, everyday as though it were her last. You were supposed to change the world for the better, like she planned. You were supposed to _live_.

_So far away from where you are_

_These miles have torn us worlds apart_

_And I miss you, yeah I miss you_

_And I wish you were here_

Looking down at the cold grey granite, your eyes are reflected back at you. Etched in the hard stone are the words you've memorized from reading so many times: _Here lies Brooke Penelope Davis. Best friend, sister, daughter, teammate, and lover. Gone, but never ever to be forgotten. _You studied them everyday you came, as though they might change when you're not looking. And, yet, they stay the same, gleaming back at you the same way they did yesterday, and the day before that. Laying down the red roses you brought, you can help but allow a sad smile to creep up to your face as you touch the words, your fingertips gliding over the etching. Slowly, ever so slowly you seem to be getting over the nightmares of not having her next to you again and the dread of going through life without her. Her memory must live on. And, if not by you, than who? You are who she wanted next to her when her dreams came true. Why not help those dreams still come true? The dreams she had of you following your hearts desires. Allow her that one last wish. Allow her wish of you moving on and being happy to be accomplished.

"I miss you, Pretty Girl. I graduated from college today. Guess what? My book is getting published, and it's all because of you. Cheery, I bet your up there right now making everyone's day just a little brighter. I wish you were here with me. See you tomorrow, Brooke," the young, blonde man whispers before slowly getting to his feet. With one last glance from his crystal blue eyes, he turns and leaves. A small breeze moves past him, and for an instance it feels as though a hand cups his face. The male leans into the embrace for a second, smiling. His eyes close and a faint whiff of strawberries meets his nose.

While Brooke Davis might have not been alive, her memory lived on. And, her love was like the wind. It couldn't be seen, but it was always felt.

"I love you too," Lucas Scott mumbles into the wind before stuffing his hands into his pockets and walking down the path out of the cemetery, the breeze rustling the autumn leaves around him, reminding him of Brooke's never ending presence.

_I wish you were here._


End file.
